Filling buckets to store water has become part of the routine for residents of Mucajaí, a municipality in the south of Roraima, which is facing the consequences of the drought affecting the state. The more than 18,000 people who live in the town have been facing instability in the piped water supply for three months. Because of the drought, which is aggravated by the El Niño phenomenon, the pumps on the Mucajaí River - which gives the town its name and is located at the entrance to the town - have been unable to collect raw water and the distribution service has been compromised at 70 per cent of its capacity. In addition, the city's eight artesian wells have a low water table and this also has an impact on the supply of the service. Among the main complaints from residents are the lack of water in the mornings and afternoons, the lack of pressure in the showers for bathing and drinking water for everyday consumption. Located 57 kilometres from the capital Boa Vista, Mucajaí is one of the nine municipalities in an emergency situation due to the effects of the drought in Roraima. In the midst of the state's drought, which is expected to last until April, forest fires are consuming houses, animals and vegetation. According to the Roraima Water and Sewage Company, the city's Water Treatment Plant is only operating at 30 per cent of its supply capacity. The lack of water is also affecting the municipality's six health centres, which rely on gallons of mineral water made available by Mucajaí City Hall for their drinking fountains. In schools, water tanks sustain the supply when there is no supply on normal days.

Source: Amazon Agency